Black Caviar returned to the race track this morning without fanfare or media throng for a preparatory barrier trial at Sandown ahead of her return to competitive racing in February.

The unbeaten world champion sprinter was a surprise nomination for the organised trials conducted by the Melbourne Racing Club, and looked in fantastic shape as she breezed effortlessly over 800m in a sizzling time of 45 seconds with regular race-day jockey Luke Nolen sitting quietly in the saddle as the pair established a six-length margin on their opposition at the finish line.

Regular trial watchers were pleasantly surprised by the famous mare's presence at the trials and took to Twitter to spread the word that the world's best sprinter had graced them with an early unexpected morning appearance.

Black Caviar, a winner of 22 races from 22 starts and almost $7 million in prizemoney, has not raced since scoring a narrow win in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in the UK in June last year. However, that victory came not without some controversy, with Nolen dropping his hands in the closing stages and almost losing the race.

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It later emerged that the hulking mare had suffered two muscle tears and sustained severe bruising to her hindquarters during the run, necessitating a lengthy spell.

Black Caviar is expected to kick off her autumn campaign in the race named in her honour — the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes over 1000m — down the Flemington straight on February 16. A start in March 9's Newmarket Stakes at Flemington, a race which Black Caviar in 2011, could be next on the agenda ... although that will depend on the weight allocated to the mare by handicappers.

6 comments so far

Retire this mare - you greedy, greedy owners and trainers - she has down more than enough - what else does she have to do to mak you all happy!!

Commenter

linjellet

Date and time

January 22, 2013, 10:44PM

The owners could probably make more money if they retired the great mare to the breeding barn, linjellet. The bigger risk is keeping her racing and sharing her with the racegoing and greater public, so I don't see how greed comes into it.

Commenter

Andrew

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

January 23, 2013, 8:26AM

Hey linjellet, have you ever thought that maybe BC actually enjoys racing? I think you'd find P. Moody would have no hesitation in retiring her if she no longer did.She's been fantastic for the Australian public and if you took the time to read her biography by Gerard Whateley I think you'd understand how much love and care she gets.

Commenter

HG

Location

Country Vic

Date and time

January 23, 2013, 8:58AM

Peter Moody and the owners have her best interests at heart. She'll be a long time retired so let's enjoy watching her while she's still out there. I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Commenter

RONOSON

Location

MELBOURNE

Date and time

January 23, 2013, 9:02AM

Omg - greed has well and truly arrived with this mare and typically the foxes in charge of the henhouse cannot and sadly refuse to see - greed in this case could be defined as follows: more racing until something happens, nonstop breeding of this mare (which they will do), lost media coverage, loss of No 1 marketing tool. Self interest rather than horse interest is the highest motivator in this industry - always will be and unfortunately the masses are served BS by all involved under the guise of horse-interest and are unable to see or distinguish this.

Commenter

linjellet

Date and time

January 23, 2013, 10:38AM

Before the salmon and pink fan club climb onto their artificially elevated high horse again they should understand that Black Caviar's career has been one of the greatest media promotions in the history of entertainment and not necessarily as one of the world's greatest horses either, although she has been labeled that! Firstly she has only ever run in 2 handicap races in her life, one being a lowly restricted race and the other in a phenomenal Newmarket Handicap win that flattened her completely over two years ago. The list of open handicaps she has purposefully dodged is as long as the Flemington straight just as the list of WFA small field races populated by aging crocks and second raters is equally long. All of these handicap dodging tactics have resulted in what at first glance looks and sounds like an impressive world class winning streak but on closer inspection you'll find the so called greatest sprinter of all time "hold no track or no race records" anywhere! She is 60% behind in stake money of other non evasive mares like Vodka and Bueno Vista that have won $20 Million and competed in the absolute cauldrons of Japan Hong Kong, France against star studded fields of multiple Group 1 winners and didn't consider trips to the UK to race for peanuts and prestige against lesser lights worthy of a second thought as our mare did. Yes Black Caviar has a wonderfully managed career and an equally long winning streak but it is the obsession to preserve this winning streak that has cost this great local mare any chance of ever being truly the world's best and given her age and her absolute hatred of travel confinements we will never ever know if she could have been truly Numero Uno!